In a few short weeks, students will head back to school. That means back-to-school shopping—and strained budgets. But you can get discounts on computers, software and other digital gear.

Before you buy, ask the school for minimum system requirements. If possible, check with the actual academic department. It may have different requirements.

You’ll need to decide on an operating system. Windows is by far the most popular. You’ll run into fewer compatibility problems.

But Mac OS X will run Windows and Windows programs. That’s thanks to Boot Camp, which is included with new Macs. You must buy a copy of Windows.

Windows laptops

Netbooks are popular, thanks to their low prices. However, they don’t offer the computing power of true laptops. Skip them. Netbooks are easily identified; they generally use Intel’s Atom processor.

Opt for an Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD Turion processor. These powerful, dual-core 64-bit processors will suit most students. Don’t worry too much about processor speed.